Ford County

Stories

By: John Grisham

Narrated by: John Grisham

Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

In his first collection of short stories John Grisham takes us back to Ford County, Mississippi, the setting of his first novel, A Time to Kill.

Wheelchair-bound Inez Graney and her two older sons, Leon and Butch, take a bizarre road trip through the Mississippi Delta to visit the youngest Graney brother, Raymond, who's been locked away on death row for eleven years. It could well be their last visit.

Mack Stafford, a hard-drinking and low-grossing run-of-the-mill divorce lawyer gets a miracle phone call with a completely unexpected offer to settle some old, forgotten cases for more money than he has ever seen. Mack is suddenly bored with the law, fed up with his wife and his life, and makes drastic plans to finally escape.

Quiet, dull Sidney, a data collector for an insurance company, perfects his blackjack skills in hopes of bringing down the casino empire of Clanton's most ambitious hustler, Bobby Carl Leach, who, among other crimes, has stolen Sidney's wife.

Three good ol' boys from rural Ford County begin a journey to the big city of Memphis to give blood to a grievously injured friend. However, they are unable to drive past a beer store as the trip takes longer and longer.

The Quiet Haven Retirement Home is the final stop for the elderly of Clanton. It's a sad, languid place with little controversy, until Gilbert arrives. Posing as a lowly paid bedpan boy, he is in reality a brilliant stalker with an uncanny ability to sniff out the assets of those "seniors" he professes to love.

Clanton is rocked with the rumor that the gay son of a prominent family has finally come home, to die. Of AIDS. Fear permeates the town as gossip runs unabated.

Featuring a cast of characters you'll never forget, these stories bring Ford County to vivid and colorful life. Often hilarious, frequently moving, this collection makes it abundantly clear why John Grisham is our most popular storyteller.

©2009 Belfry Holdings, Inc (P)2009 Random House

Great listen!

Although I've not finished the book,I had to review this wonderful work. I love Mr. Grisham's reading of his work combined with his Mississippi accent lends a southern realism to the audiobook. Maybe it would be done differently with a professional reader, but I'm impressed that the author would even attempt to read his own work. Two thumbs UP!

I Happened to like it

What did you like best about Ford County? What did you like least?

Well guys - I read all the reviews and I too am a huge Grisham fan - going back to The Firm. I listened to Bleachers and even though Grisham is certainly no narrator, I still liked his portrayal of the story generally- though I will admit that another narrator could have probably done it better. Nevertheless, I have listened to it a couple of times and enjoyed the storyline each time. Hence fast forwading to Ford County Stories. I listened to this one while driving from Knoxville to Atlanta and back. The short stories were enjoyable and I've listened to the book 2 times so far. While I agree that a more professional narrator could've done a smoother job, I still enjoy the southern authenticity and imaging that Grisham's voice conjures.

What other book might you compare Ford County to and why?

Bleachers

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Yes - but it could've been done better

Do you think Ford County needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

no. It's pretty good the way it is.

I felt the stories were fun and enjoyable.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes I would, If people like short stories I think they would enjoy the stories found in this book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Ford County?

Since the book is made up of a number of short stories, there were fun endings plus one of the books had an ending which should be a meaningful message to some of us as we make our livings. Making it very clear that even though we may be good at what we do, we had better look at the moral and ethical things we do and how it could hurt the lives of others.

What about John Grisham’s performance did you like?

I thought John Grisham did a good job as an narrator.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

I am sure there are a number of these stories that could be made into a movie. I think the story about Lawyer Wade would be the first one I would suggest. The tag line could be,

"An extremely talented and successful Attorney learns how he has devastated the lives of an innocent family."

Any additional comments?

My only complaint was that I thought several of the stories ended rather abruptly. Unlike a book that usually ends with all the questions being answered, these were more likely to leave us with the opportunity to wonder where the stories went after the end.But I did enjoy all of the stories.

Loved it! Highly recommend it!

I truly enjoyed the stories in Ford County. John Grisham has been one of my top three authors for many years. Listening to John read was like having a long time friend read to me as we sit together on the porch. Just like having favorite authors-now that I listen to more audio books- I now have favorites who read to me. John is in the top two!!

Great book

Having grown up in a very small town in the south, I can relate to the characters John Grisham has created and throughly enjoy the short story format. Some people complain about the "abrupt" endings to the stories, but that is what a short story does...once you get to the climax...the story is over, no use (in my opinion) on dealing with the small details. I also enjoyed having the author read the book, his accent really lends to the "character" of the stories...I feel like I am listening to one of my uncles telling some of their stories about Robeson County, NC.

Ford County

Excellent! John you always keep us on the edge of our seats, waiting to hear what comes next. Hope to meet you in person some day as we grew up in the same community. Loved your Painted House, it brought back many,many memories. Anxiously awaiting your next novel. SAMGF

Southern Storytelling at its Best!

I loved each story in this book. The characters seem real. John Grisham reads each story in such a way as to engross the listener in the story. His natural southern accent is very compelling.

Should write a book from every chapter of this one

Should write a book from every chapter of this one, the last story was amazing. Why not a entire novel abot it.

Great stories

Really enjoyed the narration. Nice to hear Mr. Grisham voice, I felt like he was speaking to me. thanks

???

Could not figure out the point of the whole thing I wouldn't call this his best work